Alpena weekly argus., 1887-11-09
FOOL JIM.
That He Was Called, Although He
Was Wondrous Wise.

II we trust general opinion, it was q
series OF follies, beginning in boyhood and
continuing during life. James Foljambe-
"Fool Jin," as the boys nicknamed him at
school-and the epithet clung to him-did,
in popular judgment, the most silly things,
and yet prospered. At school he was noted
for his folly, as we'll as for pluck and cool
ness. II big boy maltreated a little one,
instead OF minding his own business, as a
sensible boy should, Fool Jim would take it
up and thrash the bully.
When that wretched little Dick Greene,
the son of old Corney Greene, sort Of odd
job man about town, broke his leg by fall
from cherry tree, Fool Jim used to 20
around and cheer up tho little brat, and
spend his pocket money, OF which he had
plenty, for Dicks benefit. All the leading
big boys Of the school thought him fool,
but no one dared to tell him 30, for, though
he was not quarrclsome, he was quick to
resent an insult and was a tough customer
in a rough-and-tumble fight.
Foljambe left school for an academy
where they prepared boys for college, and
went afterward to college. / left at the
same time to become under-salesman and
general drudge in the grocery shop Of Figgs
a. Oalchieze. lost sight Of him then, ex-
cept at vacations, until he was graduated
and had come homo. His father, con-
hrmed invalid, was very rich, and made
great fuss over him when he returned, and
was very proud of the fact that Jim was at
the head of his class There was no non.
sense about jim, must say. He remem-
bered all his old schoolmates and put on no
airs. He would come into our shop at all
times and talk with me whom / was not
busy, and as he would be very rich in time,
old Figgs, though he did keep his peoples
noses close to the grindstone, never grum-
bled at II.
Not that Jim was an idler. He took
vast deal of his sickly fathers hands in
managing the large plantation. No little
job that was, either. Foljambe place en-
braced over nineteen hundred acres, and
with the exception OF q hundred acres OF
woodland. and about three hundred of
pasture and meadow, was closely culti-
waited. There was a fine herd OF Jersey
cattle, then coming into vogue, and over
forty blooded horses, besides others for
plow aud wagon.
For four years there was nothing worthy
OF note, except that got to be head sales
man and "A sort of general manager in oar
concern, which, considering my age, was a
big lift for me. But old Foljambe died at
this time, and as James was motherless,
and an only son, he succeeded to the
property. Then began the follies of this
son, which made talk for the country
around for years.
The first exhibition was in the matter Of
the Peabody mortgage. There had been
two Peabody brothers, Nathan and David !;
but David, the younger one, on his fathers
death had taken one thousand dollars in
4, for oho nd nH To
TO seek his fortune. He was not heard OF
aftcrward and was believed to be dead.
Nathan stayed on the old place. He was u
shittless man, and though he married Ben
Merits daughter who was tidy house
wife and prudent woman, he could not
get along. The farm was pretty well worn
out and he did not improve 1t at all.
The crops grew less aud less, and Nathan
grew a crop OF debt. To wipe that out, he
borrowed another thou sand dollars on bond
and mortgage from the same party who
held the first mortgage given to raise
David's money. Things grew worse and
worse, and at last the interest remained
unpaid for two years, and proceedings were
taken to foreclose the mortgage. Nathan
took sick over it and died. The doctor said
it was typhoid fever, but every one thought
it was the trouble, and that Nathan had
face his difficulties. AT all events no died,
leaving his widow with one child, a girl of
fourteen. She was very pretty-thc Image
of her father-and all the Peabodys were
| fine looking people; but she had her moth
cr's ways.
Everybody pitied tho widow, for IL was
we'll understood that the farm would bring
no more than the debt and law expenses, in
fact, that the mortgagee would be obliged
| TO buy it in. With the exception of one
| spo the farm was a worn-out sandy loam
over-lun with sedge- grass, the sign Of ster-
| iity. The exception was a hill, covering
about forty-two acres, apparently composed
| OF tough, gravelly clay, unfit for even
5rick-making, and incapable OF cultivation.
| TO be sure, the five acres around the house.
which was at one end of the place, had been
used as vegetable garden, and that was
in a little better order. II was a sorry piece
Of property. So when sale day came, and
happened to be over at the county town,
| dropped into the courthouse where the
sheriff was TO sell. I found only a. half
dozen persons, and one OF these was Fol-
jambe, aud another was Phipps who held
the mortgage.
The sheriff, stating that every cne knew
the place, which had been with the Pea
bodys for over hundred years, asked for
a bid The amount against the property,
including the legal costs, was twenty three
hundred and eighty-four dollars. Phipps
put in as bid, but remarked he didn't
want it at any price, and any one advancing
on that might have it.
''That leaves nothing for the widow" OBJ
served Foljsmbe.
Suppose you bid more, then, on her ac-
count" said Phipps.
II shall" replied Foljambe; "thirty-five
hundred dollars
''ls that your bid, Mr.. Foljambein in
quired the sheriff.
THAT is my bid, sir.n
So the farm was knocked down to him.
When we were coming away Foljambe said
| TO me:
"Coffey, you go past the Peabody Farm
on your way home. wish you'd stop and
tell Mrs. Peabody that the place has
brought over twelve hundred dollars more
shan the debt, and she must take out let
ters OF administration. And tell her for
me not TO think OF moving. She can have
the house and tho garden around 1t free of
rent She's shifty woman and with that
start she'll get along"
1 folt that Foljambe's conduct was
through an impulse OF generosity which
ne could we'll afford. But tho general vcr-
dict was that he was o fool. Had he bid a
hundred over Phipps, or even two hundred,